£8.5m new schools plan could create 100 jobs in Liverpool

A former children’s detention centre in Liverpool could soon make way for two new schools, creating dozens of employment opportunities.

A report set to go before Liverpool City Council on June 24 will propose that Dyson Hall, located in Fazakerley, be replaced with a £5m special school managed by disability charity Birtenshaw.

If approved, Birtenshaw would use the centre to offer education and care for up to 40 children with physical disabilities, complex health needs and learning difficulties or Autistic Spectrum Conditions.

The school would create at least 100 new jobs and feature a 25-metre hydrotherapy pool, with construction costs repaid to the council through the building’s rental agreement.

Birtenshaw currently operates an oversubscribed school in Bolton.

Elsewhere, the council is being asked to consider plans to relocate New Heights School – a referral unit for children excluded from mainstream education – from its current home in Gateacre to a new £3.5m building on the Dyson Hall site.

The centre would have space for up to 66 youngsters.

New Heights’ existing site, meanwhile, would house Calder Kids, a provider of play and leisure activities for disabled children aged between six and 19. Calder Kids is currently based on Harthill Road in Calderstones.

Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Cllr Malcolm Kennedy, said: “This proposal will deliver a number of benefits for young people from Liverpool with significant needs.

“Dyson Hall is a building that we no longer have a use for, and the two new modern facilities will bring a derelict site back into use.”

He added: “We have also been working with Calder Kids for some time to find them a new home more suitable for their needs, and this plan will see them relocated in a more purpose building in Gateacre.”

If the project is approved, building firm Willmott Dixon would begin construction in the Autumn, with both schools opening in September next year.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, Cllr Nick Small, commented: “This is part of our ongoing commitment to provide new facilities for our young people and give them the very best start in life.”

Birtenshaw chief exec David Reid said the organisation is “delighted” to be working in partnership with Liverpool council.

He added: “We look forward to providing quality services for children and young people with special education needs and disability in the city for many years to come.”

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